In 2020, COVID-19 has made things complicated. Voting and elections, especially in Harris County, are no exception. And as many have realized a mere 30 days from the election, the pandemic has caused a shortage in poll workers and volunteers across the state of Texas. This is because historically, most poll workers have been seniors...
There is no shortage of polls or pundits predicting the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. But “outcomes” include more than simply election results. Who is gaming out how America — and the world — will respond? We are. While national polls suggest an edge for former Vice President Joe Biden, the winner isn’t determined...
For some reason, the Lone Star State and its 38 Electoral College votes is considered to be a battleground—never mind that neither Vice President Joe Biden, nor his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, have made one visit to Texas this year. President Donald Trump leads in Texas by 4.4%, according to the Real Clear Politics average...
What we see so far in the 11 large counties with comparable data to 2016 is that registered voters are up 13% (by comparison, population is up 7.3% in Texas since 2016). In-person turnout is up 15% as a raw number, but only 1.57% as a share of registered voters (12.06% to 11.87%). Voting by...
There’s a prevailing theme out of Texas that the state is turning blue, that the inevitability of the demographic and cultural shift will lead the Lone Star State back into the Democratic column, as it was for most of its history as a state. This narrative is advanced by the media, Democrats, and even some...
Whether President Trump is reelected or Vice President Biden wins, America is not likely to know the outcome of the contest for days, or even weeks. The reason is simple: the rush to mail-in balloting will overwhelm the local elections officials who do the job of counting the vote. In-person votes cast either early or...
Harris County keeps finding itself in the news, but for all the wrong reasons. After county officials picked another fight with Texas law and Attorney General Paxton over mail-in ballots, and the Supreme Court of Texas stepping in to issue a stay, more bombshells have dropped. One is a lawsuit filed in Harris County that investigators...
Does election fraud happen on a coordinated, wide-scale basis or “at the local level from time to time” or not at all? Contrary to the protestations of some in the media and pundit class, election fraud does occur. The concerns are, how pervasive is it? Does it change election outcomes? And should we be concerned...
With just over a month until the election, many concerns exist as to how Americans will vote. Will voters vote at the polls or by using mail-in ballots? President Trump has already expressed concerns how voters will vote in the election. It is possible ballots will be sent to individuals who have never voted before...
At the birth of our Republic, we fought a war to gain sovereignty over the right to vote and determine our destiny as citizens. Yet, as we celebrate the 244th Fourth of July, we find ourselves on the threshold of surrendering our rights anew, throwing away our right of self-determination by accepting unsecure elections. A...
On Elections, beware of good intentions with bad consequences. Harris County sent applications for ballot-by-mail to all residents age 65 or older, regardless of whether they had requested one. While its intentions might have been to keep senior citizens safe, its actions will cause more harm than good. An unsolicited ballot in the mailbox could...
The determining factors to voter turnout are enthusiasm and trust in free and fair elections. Enthusiasm comes from the candidate and the campaign and from the citizenry’s concerns and convictions. Turnout is also influenced or disincentivized by difficulties accessing the polls and when there is a confusing elections administrative process, including delays in results or...